Psychiatrist sees hope for teen killer in brutal murder

KITCHENER — A second psychiatrist testified Tuesday that a teenager needs years of intensive treatment to deal with underlying problems that turned him into a killer.

The teen was just 16 when he snapped after a night of heavy drinking and marijuana use and stabbed Larry McDonald to death at his Kitchener apartment in March 2010.

McDonald, 49, was trying to stop an argument between the teen and his 35-year-old girlfriend, who had accused him of cheating on her.

Dr. Julian Gojer said the teen, now 19, was likely depressed and struggling with serious anger issues stemming from an unstable, abusive childhood that included a suicide attempt before his 10th birthday.

He also told a sentencing hearing in Kitchener court that the teen was being taken advantage of by his much older girlfriend, a schizophrenic and the mother of one of his high school classmates.

When he was accused of cheating, Gojer said, the teen likely felt rejected, became intensely angry and, under the influence of drugs and alcohol, took it out on McDonald.

Gojer said the brutality of the crime — McDonald was stabbed 19 times — and events leading up to it suggest the teen could have a major personality disorder as an adult.

But he said there is also hope the teen could respond to treatment because he has shown remorse, respected authority, stayed out of trouble and taken responsibility for the murder during his last year in custody.

Gojer, who testified for the defence, attributed the teen’s progress and willingness to get help to medication for depression, abstinence from drugs and alcohol and living in a structured setting.

“I see him as a psychological sponge,” he said, suggesting up to five years of treatment and followup. “It will be very easy to do counselling with him.”

A psychiatrist who did a court-ordered assessment of the teen recommended similar therapy, although he was less optimistic he can still avoid long-term problems.

The teen has already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The question now is whether he should be sentenced as a youth or under tougher adult laws.

Youths sentenced as adults for second-degree murder face mandatory life terms with no chance of parole for seven years. The maximum penalty under youth laws is seven years, only four of them in actual custody.

Neither psychiatrist offered a direct opinion on that issue, which will be decided by the judge based on their assessments, the facts of the case and other evidence.

Psychiatrist sees hope for teen killer in brutal murder

KITCHENER — A second psychiatrist testified Tuesday that a teenager needs years of intensive treatment to deal with underlying problems that turned him into a killer.

The teen was just 16 when he snapped after a night of heavy drinking and marijuana use and stabbed Larry McDonald to death at his Kitchener apartment in March 2010.

McDonald, 49, was trying to stop an argument between the teen and his 35-year-old girlfriend, who had accused him of cheating on her.

Dr. Julian Gojer said the teen, now 19, was likely depressed and struggling with serious anger issues stemming from an unstable, abusive childhood that included a suicide attempt before his 10th birthday.

He also told a sentencing hearing in Kitchener court that the teen was being taken advantage of by his much older girlfriend, a schizophrenic and the mother of one of his high school classmates.

When he was accused of cheating, Gojer said, the teen likely felt rejected, became intensely angry and, under the influence of drugs and alcohol, took it out on McDonald.

Gojer said the brutality of the crime — McDonald was stabbed 19 times — and events leading up to it suggest the teen could have a major personality disorder as an adult.

But he said there is also hope the teen could respond to treatment because he has shown remorse, respected authority, stayed out of trouble and taken responsibility for the murder during his last year in custody.

Gojer, who testified for the defence, attributed the teen’s progress and willingness to get help to medication for depression, abstinence from drugs and alcohol and living in a structured setting.

“I see him as a psychological sponge,” he said, suggesting up to five years of treatment and followup. “It will be very easy to do counselling with him.”

A psychiatrist who did a court-ordered assessment of the teen recommended similar therapy, although he was less optimistic he can still avoid long-term problems.

The teen has already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The question now is whether he should be sentenced as a youth or under tougher adult laws.

Youths sentenced as adults for second-degree murder face mandatory life terms with no chance of parole for seven years. The maximum penalty under youth laws is seven years, only four of them in actual custody.

Neither psychiatrist offered a direct opinion on that issue, which will be decided by the judge based on their assessments, the facts of the case and other evidence.

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Psychiatrist sees hope for teen killer in brutal murder

KITCHENER — A second psychiatrist testified Tuesday that a teenager needs years of intensive treatment to deal with underlying problems that turned him into a killer.

The teen was just 16 when he snapped after a night of heavy drinking and marijuana use and stabbed Larry McDonald to death at his Kitchener apartment in March 2010.

McDonald, 49, was trying to stop an argument between the teen and his 35-year-old girlfriend, who had accused him of cheating on her.

Dr. Julian Gojer said the teen, now 19, was likely depressed and struggling with serious anger issues stemming from an unstable, abusive childhood that included a suicide attempt before his 10th birthday.

He also told a sentencing hearing in Kitchener court that the teen was being taken advantage of by his much older girlfriend, a schizophrenic and the mother of one of his high school classmates.

When he was accused of cheating, Gojer said, the teen likely felt rejected, became intensely angry and, under the influence of drugs and alcohol, took it out on McDonald.

Gojer said the brutality of the crime — McDonald was stabbed 19 times — and events leading up to it suggest the teen could have a major personality disorder as an adult.

But he said there is also hope the teen could respond to treatment because he has shown remorse, respected authority, stayed out of trouble and taken responsibility for the murder during his last year in custody.

Gojer, who testified for the defence, attributed the teen’s progress and willingness to get help to medication for depression, abstinence from drugs and alcohol and living in a structured setting.

“I see him as a psychological sponge,” he said, suggesting up to five years of treatment and followup. “It will be very easy to do counselling with him.”

A psychiatrist who did a court-ordered assessment of the teen recommended similar therapy, although he was less optimistic he can still avoid long-term problems.

The teen has already pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The question now is whether he should be sentenced as a youth or under tougher adult laws.

Youths sentenced as adults for second-degree murder face mandatory life terms with no chance of parole for seven years. The maximum penalty under youth laws is seven years, only four of them in actual custody.

Neither psychiatrist offered a direct opinion on that issue, which will be decided by the judge based on their assessments, the facts of the case and other evidence.